Bored of traditional drum machines? Try using marbles… in virtual reality. ‘Drops’ is a new system from Planeta, a multimedia studio focussed on virtual and augmented reality experiences. It’s been described as “a musical instrument driven by the beat and flow of cascading marbles as they strike multi-tonal blocks.”
Dust off your virtual reality headset – Planeta’s ‘Drops: Rhythm Garden’ offers buckets of creative potential with their futuristic alternative to the humble drum machine.
Most agree that virtual reality has the ability to shape the future, however until now, there have been limited applications in a musical context.
Drops: Rhythm Garden allows the user to manipulate a stream of marbles, which strike percussive objects such as blocks, planks, drums as well as some instruments like flutes and chimes. A natural soundscape consisting of water, birds, wind and grass sets a serene background – Planeta intended the experience to aid in mindfulness.
The design forces a user to use strategy to fine tune their work into elaborate polyphonic rhythms. Planeta state that Drops requires little to no background knowledge of music and is “easy to pick up and hard to put down”. The initial release features sounds created with musician Patrick Russel and composer Patrick Higgins. Check it out below.
For more information check out Drops: Rhythm Garden on the Oculus store or on Steam.
Related Posts
Play a Modular Synth in Virtual Reality With ‘Synthmulator’ The crazy world of virtual reality, a place where you can live out your wildest dreams, taking on extreme sports, exploring the world and now... tinkering with a modular synthesiser. […]
Listen to the First Techno Album Made Entirely by Robots Moritz Simon Geist has just released a techno record made entirely by robots. The builder and musician released the four-track EP on October 12, with the full album to follow in […]
Sax Anywhere With Roland’s Versatile New Aerophone Go It might look like an alien ray gun, but Roland's new Aerophone Go offers saxophone playability with digital versatility.
Are you a Sax player who's sick of changing reeds? Roland's […]
Psychedelic Craft: Pedal Talk With Buried Feather There's no shortage of quality psych bands in Australia, but Melbourne's Buried Feather are a cut above the rest. Their second LP Mind of the Swarm dropped earlier this year, boasting an […]
Sonic Innovators: How Does Sound Inform Genres Through Time? As we move through sonic history, what is accepted as pleasing to the ear, or even simply musical, changes. Some sounds are regarded as timeless classics, others horrendously dated, and […]
Play a Modular Synth in Virtual Reality With ‘Synthmulator’ The crazy world of virtual reality, a place where you can live out your wildest dreams, taking on extreme sports, exploring the world and now... tinkering with a modular synthesiser. […]
Listen to the First Techno Album Made Entirely by Robots Moritz Simon Geist has just released a techno record made entirely by robots. The builder and musician released the four-track EP on October 12, with the full album to follow in […]
Sax Anywhere With Roland’s Versatile New Aerophone Go It might look like an alien ray gun, but Roland's new Aerophone Go offers saxophone playability with digital versatility.
Are you a Sax player who's sick of changing reeds? Roland's […]
Psychedelic Craft: Pedal Talk With Buried Feather There's no shortage of quality psych bands in Australia, but Melbourne's Buried Feather are a cut above the rest. Their second LP Mind of the Swarm dropped earlier this year, boasting an […]
Sonic Innovators: How Does Sound Inform Genres Through Time? As we move through sonic history, what is accepted as pleasing to the ear, or even simply musical, changes. Some sounds are regarded as timeless classics, others horrendously dated, and […]